Batting Training Device and Method

ABSTRACT

The present invention relates to devices and methods that train a player to hit a ball with a bat using a predetermined portion of the bat, e.g., the sweet spot or other optimal portion of a bat. The device and methods of the present invention are useful in training players from a variety of sports, such as baseball, softball, and cricket.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

A common goal for players of sports that involve hitting a ball with a bat, e.g., baseball, softball, and cricket, is to become proficient at hitting the ball with the optimal part of the bat during a swing. The optimal part of the bat is often referred to as the “sweet spot.” The sweet spot of a baseball bat is generally a region of the bat located on the barrel of the bat, i.e., the widest portion of the bat. When a player hits a ball with the sweet spot of the bat, the ball will typically be hit with maximum power and/or the ball will be sent on an optimal trajectory. For example, in baseball, a ball hit with the sweet spot of the bat will often be a hard line drive or a long fly ball. Conversely, a ball hit with a portion of the bat other than the sweet spot will often be a short fly ball, a pop-up, a weakly hit ground ball, or a foul ball.

There are many training devices and methods known in the art for improving a player's proficiency for hitting a ball with proper form and/or hitting a ball with the sweet spot of a bat. For example, in baseball, methods such as “soft toss” or “front toss” and devices such as a batting tee are often used to try to improve a player's ability to consistently hit a ball with the proper form and/or the sweet spot of the bat. However, these and other training aids known in the art are typically ineffective for letting a batsman know precisely where the bat and ball have made contact. Accordingly, such currently used training aids and batting drills are unlikely to help a player or coach assess if contact has been made at the exact location of interest. In addition, some training aids can interfere with or impede the natural swing of the player when these aids are connected to a bat, thereby potentially causing the player to develop mechanical flaws in their swing.

Thus, there is a continuing need in the art for a simple device and method for training a player to hit a ball with the desired portion of a bat, but that does not interfere with or impede the player's swing. The present invention addresses this continuing need in the art.

SUMMARY OF INVENTION

The present invention relates to devices and methods for training a player to hit a ball with a predetermined portion of a bat. In one embodiment, the present invention is a batting training device comprising: a ring comprising an energy-absorbing material, wherein the ring has an opening for inserting a hitting instrument therethrough. In one embodiment, the present invention is a method of training a player to hit a ball with a predetermined portion of a bat, comprising the steps of: connecting an energy-absorbing device to a bat, thereby covering a portion of the outer surface of the bat with the device, wherein said device provides a feedback to a player when a player hits a ball with the portion of the outer surface of the bat covered with the device.

In one embodiment, the device of the present invention can be secured to the hitting instrument via a friction fit. In another embodiment, the device can be secured to the hitting instrument via a fastening mechanism. In such an embodiment, the fastening mechanism can be a strap and buckle, one or more snap buttons, a hook-and-loop fastener, a touch fastener, or any other fastening mechanism as would be understood by a person skilled in the art.

In various embodiments, the cross-sectional of the device of the present invention can be any shape as would be understood by a person skilled in the art. In one embodiment, the cross-sectional-shape of the device is substantially circular in shape. In another embodiment, the cross-sectional-shape of the device is substantially rectangular in shape.

In various embodiments, the hitting instrument can be a baseball, a softball bat, a cricket bat, a ping pong paddle, or a golf club. In one embodiment, the hitting instrument is selected from the group consisting of a tennis racquet, squash racquet, badminton racquet, and racquetball racquet.

In one embodiment, the energy-absorbing material of the device of the present invention is a type of foam. In another embodiment, the energy-absorbing material is a polymer. In one embodiment, the foam or polymer comprises ethylene-vinyl acetate (EVA).

In one embodiment of the method of the present invention, the feedback is a decrease in volume in the sound made when the ball strikes the device compared to the sound made when the ball strikes an uncovered portion of the bat. In another embodiment, the feedback is a reduction in vibration felt by the player when the ball strikes the device compared to the vibration felt by the player when the ball strikes an uncovered portion of the bat. In another embodiment, the feedback is a reduction in distance the ball is hit when the ball strikes the device compared to the distance the ball is hit when the ball strikes an uncovered portion of the bat. In yet another embodiment, the feedback is a reduction in speed the ball is hit when the ball strikes the device compared to the speed the ball is hit when the ball strikes an uncovered portion of the bat.

In various embodiments, the energy-absorbing device used in the method of the present invention can be any embodiment of the batting training device of the present invention described herein. In one embodiment of the method of the present invention, the portion of the outer surface of the bat covered by the device does not include a sweet spot of the bat. In one embodiment, the method further comprises the step of determining the location of a sweet spot of a bat prior to connecting an energy-absorbing device to the bat.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The following detailed description of various embodiments of the invention will be better understood when read in conjunction with the appended drawings. It should be understood, however, that the invention is not limited to the precise arrangements and instrumentalities of the embodiments shown in the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of an exemplary embodiment of the device of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing two exemplary devices of the present invention connected to a baseball bat.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

It is to be understood that the figures and descriptions of the present invention have been simplified to illustrate elements that are relevant for a clear understanding of the present invention, while eliminating, for the purpose of clarity, many other elements found in typical sports equipment and devices or methods for sports training Those of ordinary skill in the art may recognize that other elements and/or steps are desirable and/or required in implementing the present invention. However, because such elements and steps are well known in the art, and because they do not facilitate a better understanding of the present invention, a discussion of such elements and steps is not provided herein. The disclosure herein is directed to all such variations and modifications to such elements and methods known to those skilled in the art.

Unless defined otherwise, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this invention belongs. Although any methods and materials similar or equivalent to those described herein can be used in the practice or testing of the present invention, the preferred methods and materials are described.

As used herein, each of the following terms has the meaning associated with it in this section.

The articles “a” and “an” are used herein to refer to one or to more than one (i.e., to at least one) of the grammatical object of the article. By way of example, “an element” means one element or more than one element.

“About” as used herein when referring to a measurable value such as an amount, a temporal duration, and the like, is meant to encompass variations of ±20%, ±10%, ±5%, ±1%, and ±0.1% from the specified value, as such variations are appropriate.

Throughout this disclosure, various aspects of the invention can be presented in a range format. It should be understood that the description in range format is merely for convenience and brevity and should not be construed as an inflexible limitation on the scope of the invention. Accordingly, the description of a range should be considered to have specifically disclosed all the possible subranges as well as individual numerical values within that range. For example, description of a range such as from 1 to 6 should be considered to have specifically disclosed subranges such as from 1 to 3, from 1 to 4, from 1 to 5, from 2 to 4, from 2 to 6, from 3 to 6 etc., as well as individual numbers within that range, for example, 1, 2, 2.7, 3, 4, 5, 5.3, 6 and any whole and partial increments therebetween. This applies regardless of the breadth of the range.

Description

The present invention relates to a device and method for training a player to hit a ball with a predetermined portion of a bat. In one embodiment, the predetermined portion of the bat is the “sweet spot,” i.e., optimal portion of a bat. The device of the present invention relates to a pad that can be attached to a bat that is used for batting balls or similar objects. When a pad of the present invention is attached to a bat, a ball striking the pad during a swing will be hit with a different sound, distance, speed, and/or trajectory than a ball striking a portion of the bat that does not have a pad attached to it. Accordingly, one or more pads of the present invention can be attached to a bat in such a way as to leave a predetermined portion of the bat, such as the sweet spot, exposed while covering one or more regions of the bat that correspond to a less than optimal hitting location.

The device of the present invention can be made from inexpensive materials, and can be used to train a player without the need for a coach or second person to be present. Further, in one embodiment, the device of the present invention is relatively small and light-weight, such that the device does not change the feel of the bat to the player and does not interfere with the motion of the player's swing. In various embodiments, the devices and methods of the present invention can be used for any sport or activity where a bat or other type of hitting instrument is used to strike a ball or other object. Some exemplary sports that the device or method of the present invention can be used with include, but are not limited to: baseball, softball, cricket, ping pong, tennis, squash, racquetball, badminton, and golf.

Referring to FIG. 1, in one embodiment, the device 10 of the present invention is a donut- or ring-shaped object comprising a relatively soft material that can be attached to a hitting instrument, for example a baseball bat. Device 10 has a ring of material 14 that surrounds an opening 12, wherein opening 12 is suitably sized to slide over a handle of a bat and onto the barrel of the bat. In one embodiment, the device is secured to the barrel of the bat via a friction fit, i.e., ring 14 stretches to accommodate the barrel of the bat and does not slip or move when a player swings the bat. In another embodiment, the device can be secured to a bat via a fastening mechanism, for example, but not limited to: a hook-and-loop or touch fastener, e.g., a VELCRO brand fastener, a strap and buckle, or one or more snap buttons. In such an embodiment, the fastening mechanism can be positioned on the side of the bat opposite the side of the bat that the player is expected to use to hit a ball, so that the fastening mechanism does not come into contact with the ball when the player swings the bat.

The device of the present invention can comprise any material as would be understood by a person skilled in the art. In one embodiment, the device comprises a material suitably flexible to stretch around the barrel of any sized bat, for example an elastic polymer or rubber. In another embodiment, the device comprises a type of foam. For example, the device can comprise ethylene-vinyl acetate (EVA), known in the art as expanded rubber or foam rubber and commonly used in various sports equipment such as yoga equipment, or the device can comprise any other type of suitable foam. In a preferred embodiment, the device is made from a material that is sufficiently flexible to stretch to accommodate a wide range of sizes of a bat, while also being relatively soft, such that the material will absorb a significant amount of the kinetic energy associated with the ball that the player is trying to hit. In one embodiment, the device can be made from more than one type of material. In one such embodiment, the device can comprise one type of material that will come in direct contact with the bat, i.e., a base material, and a second type of material that is attached to the base material via adhesive, stitching, or other mechanism, wherein the second type of material comprises an energy- or shock-absorbing material. The device can also further comprise materials suitable for use in a fastening mechanism, such as any type of metal or relatively hard plastic, for example when the fastening mechanism is a buckle or snap button.

In one embodiment, the device of the present invention can be adjustable in size, such that ring 14 of the device can accommodate a wide range of sizes of hitting instruments. In such an embodiment, the size of the diameter of the device can be adjusted due to the elasticity of the device, i.e., the device can stretch to accommodate different sizes of bats. Alternatively, the size of the diameter of the device can be adjustable via another mechanism, such as a strap and buckle. In another embodiment, the device of the present invention can be produced in a variety of different sizes to accommodate different sized bats. For example, one embodiment of the device can be sized for a bat to be used by a very small child, one embodiment can be sized for a bat to be used by larger, adolescent children, one embodiment can be sized for a bat to be used by adults, or any size in between. Further, the length or height of the device can be any size, as would be understood by a person skilled in the art, such that the device can cover a relatively small or a relatively large portion of the surface of a hitting instrument once the device is connected to the hitting instrument.

Similarly, bats used for different sports can comprise a variety of different sizes or shapes. In addition, a bat, for example a baseball bat, may not have the same diameter or size over the entire length of the bat. Accordingly, in various embodiments, the device of the present invention can be sized to accommodate these different sizes or shapes. For example, in one embodiment, the cross-sectional shape of the device can be generally circular-shaped to accommodate the cylindrical shape of a baseball or softball bat. In another embodiment, the cross-sectional shape of the device can be generally rectangular-shaped to accommodate a cricket bat, a ping pong paddle, or a tennis racket, i.e., hitting instruments with a relatively large width, but a relatively small thickness. However, the device of the present invention is not limited to any specific size or shaped listed herein, and can be any size or shape as would be understood by a person skilled in the art of sports equipment.

The present invention also relates to methods for training a player for hitting a ball with a bat. The methods of the present invention can be used to improve the hand-eye coordination of a player and to teach a player to make contact with a ball with a predetermined portion of a bat. The methods of the present invention can be used to train a player in any sport in which a player hits or strikes a ball or projectile with a hitting instrument.

The methods of the present invention generally relate to the understanding that when a ball hits a pad of the present invention during a player's swing, the player will sense a difference in the sound or feel of the ball connecting with the bat, or will observe a difference in distance, speed, or trajectory of the batted ball, as compared to an optimally batted ball, thereby providing immediate feedback to the player as to the quality of the swing. Accordingly, when the device is used during a swing, the player swinging the bat, or a coach observing the player, can be alerted to the quality of the swing based on different feedback characteristics.

For example, in one embodiment, when a ball strikes the device, the sound produced by the contact between the ball and the bat will be noticeably different than the sound produced by the ball striking a different portion of the bat, e.g., the contact between the device and ball will produce a quieter sound. In one embodiment, the feedback is in the form of the feel the player senses during the swing as the ball strikes the bat. For example, the feel of the ball striking the pad connected to the bat can produced a dampened or softer feel than if the ball strikes another part of the bat, e.g., the player will feel less vibration or will feel a reduced transfer of force from the bat to the player's hands. The dampened or softer feel is a result of the ability of the device to absorb a significant amount of energy from the ball. In one embodiment, the feedback is in the form of the distance, speed, or trajectory of the ball leaving the bat, e.g., the ball will travel a shorter distance, be hit with a slower speed, or be hit at a less than optimal angle when the ball strikes the device as compared to the ball striking an optimal portion of the bat.

In one embodiment, the method of the present invention comprises the steps of connecting one or more devices of the present invention to a bat and swinging the bat at a ball, wherein when the ball strikes the one or more devices of the present invention, the player receives a feedback that the ball has struck a portion of the bat other than the sweet spot or some other predetermined portion of the bat.

In one embodiment, at least two devices of the present invention can be used simultaneously with a bat or hitting device. For example, in FIG. 2, an example of a bat 30 with two devices of the present invention connected to it is shown. One device 10 can be placed near the end of the bat opposite the handle 33, and a second device 11 can be placed on the lower portion of the barrel of the bat, closer to handle 33, such that the portion of the bat left uncovered between the two devices comprises the sweet spot 35 of the bat. In such an embodiment, additional devices of the present invention can be connected to the bat to cover other portions of the bat that do not comprise the sweet spot.

In one embodiment, the method of the present invention is a method of training a player to hit a ball with the sweet spot of a bat, comprising the steps of covering a portion of a bat with a piece of a soft, energy-absorbing material, wherein the sweet spot of the bat is not covered by the soft material, and swinging the bat at a ball, wherein when the ball strikes the portion of the bat covered with soft material during the swing, the player receives a feedback that the ball has struck a portion of the bat other than the sweet spot. In another embodiment, the method of the present invention is a method of a training a player to hit a ball with any predetermined portion of a bat, including a portion of the bat other than the sweet spot. For example, the device or method of the present invention can be used to train a baseball player to bunt a ball with a portion of a bat other than sweet spot, in order to “deaden” the ball, i.e., bunt the ball with minimal force.

In various embodiments, the feedback is a change in a characteristic associated with a ball striking the sweet spot, i.e., optimal location, of a bat compared to the ball striking a less-than-optimal location on the bat. The feedback characteristic can be the pitch or volume of the sound of the bat striking the ball; the distance, speed, or trajectory of the ball after the ball is hit with the bat; or the magnitude of force or vibration transferred from the bat to the player's hands when the ball is hit with the bat. However, the feedback characteristic can be any characteristic that would be associated with a ball striking a relatively soft, energy-absorbing material connected to a bat on an area other than the sweet spot of the bat.

It is contemplated that the batting skill of a player using the device of the present invention will improve after practicing batting with the device as described herein. The player will receive positive feedback when the player is swinging the bat in such a way as to strike the ball with an optimal portion of the bat. Alternatively, the player will receive negative feedback when the player hits the ball with a less-than-optimal portion of the bat. Over repeated uses, the player will develop muscle memory and/or improve hand-eye coordination in such a way as to increase the frequency in which the player hits a ball with a predetermined portion of the bat, such as the sweet spot.

In various embodiments of the method of the present invention, the one or more devices comprising a soft material must be placed on an area of a bat that is considered a less-than-optimal location of the bat for hitting a ball. Accordingly, the method of the present invention can also include instructions for determining the placement of the device on a bat. In one embodiment, the one or more locations for placing the device can be determined by a coach or other person with suitable knowledge of the location of the sweet spot of the bat. In another embodiment, the placement of the device can be determined using a diagram or description indicating where the sweet spot is typically located on a bat. For example, when using the device with a baseball or softball bat, the sweet spot is typically located on the barrel of the bat, but excludes a portion of the barrel near the end of the bat (i.e., furthest from the handle of the bat), and also excludes a portion of the barrel closest to the handle. The determination of the location and size of the sweet spot in various hitting instruments has been described in the prior art (see, e.g., Cross, 1998, Am. J. Phys., 66(9), 772-779; Brody, 1986, Am. J. Phys., 54(7), 640-643; Brody, 1981, Am. J. Phys., 49: 816-819; Adair, 2002, The Physics of Baseball, 3rd Ed., (Harper Collins), all of which are incorporated herein by reference).

The term “sweet spot” is used throughout this disclosure. However, the device and methods of the present invention can be used to train a player to hit a ball or projectile with any predetermined portion of a hitting instrument, including portions of a hitting instrument other than a sweet spot. The predetermined portion of the hitting instrument may vary depending on the sport, or a skill within a specific sport that a player or coach wishes to improve, as would be understood by a person skilled in the art.

The disclosures of each and every patent, patent application, and publication cited herein are hereby incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.

The foregoing descriptions of specific embodiments of the present invention have been presented for the purposes of illustration and description. They are not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention and methods of use to the forms disclosed. The embodiments described were chosen in order to best explain the principles of the invention and its practical applications, and to thereby enable others skilled in the art to best utilize the invention and various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated. While this invention has been disclosed with reference to specific embodiments, it is apparent that other embodiments and variations of this invention may be devised by others skilled in the art without departing from the true spirit and scope of the invention. The appended claims are intended to be construed to include all such embodiments and equivalent variations. 

1. A batting training device comprising, a ring comprising an energy-absorbing material, wherein the ring has an opening for inserting a hitting instrument therethrough.
 2. The device of claim 1, wherein the ring is secured to said hitting instrument via a friction fit.
 3. The device of claim 1, wherein the ring is secured to said hitting instrument via a fastening mechanism.
 4. The device of claim 3, wherein said fastening mechanism is a strap and buckle.
 5. The device of claim 3, wherein said fastening mechanism is one or more snap buttons.
 6. The device of claim 3, wherein said fastening mechanism is a hook-and-loop fastener.
 7. The device of claim 1, wherein the cross-sectional-shape of the ring is substantially circular in shape.
 8. The device of claim 1, wherein the cross-sectional-shape of the ring is substantially rectangular in shape.
 9. The device of claim 1, wherein said hitting instrument is a baseball or softball bat.
 10. The device of claim 1, wherein said hitting instrument is a cricket bat.
 11. The device of claim 1, wherein said hitting instrument is a ping pong paddle.
 12. The device of claim 1, wherein said hitting instrument is a golf club.
 13. The device of claim 1, wherein said hitting instrument is selected from the group consisting of a tennis racquet, squash racquet, badminton racquet, and racquetball racquet.
 14. The device of claim 1, wherein said energy-absorbing material is a foam.
 15. The device of claim 1, wherein said energy-absorbing material is a polymer.
 16. The device of claim 1, wherein said energy-absorbing material comprises ethylene-vinyl acetate (EVA).
 17. A method of training a player to hit a ball with the sweet spot of a bat, comprising the steps of: connecting an energy-absorbing device to a bat, thereby covering a portion of the outer surface of the bat with the device, wherein said device provides a feedback to a player when a player hits a ball with the portion of the outer surface of the bat covered with the device.
 18. The method of claim 17, wherein said energy absorbing device is the device of claim
 1. 19. The method of claim 17, wherein the feedback is a decrease in volume in the sound made when the ball strikes the device compared to the sound made when the ball strikes an uncovered portion of the bat.
 20. The method of claim 17, wherein the feedback is a reduction in vibration felt by the player when the ball strikes the device compared to the vibration felt by the player when the ball strikes an uncovered portion of the bat.
 21. The method of claim 17, wherein the feedback is a reduction in distance the ball is hit when the ball strikes the device compared to the distance the ball is hit when the ball strikes an uncovered portion of the bat.
 22. The method of claim 17, wherein the feedback is a reduction in speed the ball is hit when the ball strikes the device compared to the speed the ball is hit when the ball strikes an uncovered portion of the bat.
 23. The method of claim 17, wherein the portion of the outer surface of the bat covered by the device does not include a sweet spot of the bat.
 24. The method of claim 23, further comprising the step of determining the location of a sweet spot of a bat prior to connecting said device to the bat. 